ENERGY STAR Labeled Building Profile

The Portland VA Medical Center has designed and completed five energy conservation projects over the past 7 years. Three lighting retrofit projects replaced T-12 lamps with T-8 lamps and electronic ballasts. In addition, occupancy sensors and de-lamping schemes were installed in certain areas to automatically control lights without negatively affecting patient care. More than 4,700 lighting fixtures, including exit lights, were retrofit in these three projects alone. The fourth project installed variable speed drives on certain pumps and motors. These drives allow pumps and motors to run more slowly based on demand and thus save considerable energy dollars. A smaller lighting retrofit project included the use of photocells to control lighting circuits in the atrium, elevator lobbies, waiting rooms, and admitting areas. The last of the completed energy conservation projects involved the installation of an updated DDC control system. This system allows staff to monitor and control as many as 1,400 mechanical and electrical items, including fans, pumps, and corridor and interstitial lighting. A recently funded energy project includes the installation of an energy measurement and monitoring system that will tie into the DDC system, allowing staff to identify energy inefficiencies and save even more energy dollars. With the future addition of mechanical controls, this system should allow the Portland Medical Center to realize considerable savings by turning off non-critical systems before the power demand ceiling is reached. In all, projected savings are $258,000 per year with a project payback of 5.7 years.

Communications:

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Testimonial:

"The Portland VA Medical Center is very pleased to have earned the ENERGY STAR. The money that we save from being energy efficient can be used to further the health care of our nation's veterans. Being fiscally responsible is another way for us to say thank you to all of those who have served our country."
-- Rick Hibbs, Chief Projects & Operations, VA Medical Center Portland

Please note: Narrative information in this profile has been provided by Portland VA Medical Center or a representative of this facility. Other building information was verified and submitted to EPA at the time of application. Building energy performance, operating characteristics, and ownership/management may be subject to change over time.